Alistair Greene
Alistair is an electrical engineer, and Magus of the Order of Ulrich. A powerful mage in combat, and a bit of a White Knight at times... Okay, almost all the time. His powers lie in the area of element manipulation, and he is especially talented with electricity and air, usually manifesting the later as sonic vibrations. __TOC__ Abilities Alistair is primarily an elemental-type magus in combat, relying on spells that affect particulate or fluid elements in the air. The particular variety might be called a Storm Magus, as his powers center around generation and control of high-voltage electrical charges such as those encountered in storms. His power also affords him limited control of other elements, but only to the degree which they can be manipulated by strong wind currents or compression waves. Outside of combat, like many mages, Alistair can use ritual and careful spellweaving to produce other effects such as wards for protection and other enchantments – in particular, Alistair is a skilled artificer, able to match his talent for mundane engineering with his growing skill in runic carving and enchantment to produce extraordinary works of magic and technology. Alistair’s power as a mage differs from many other spellcasters in that his personal reservoir of power is somewhat limited, reducing his endurance as a caster under some circumstances. He compensates for this with a considerable ability to draw power in from the world around him, usually in the form of electrical charge, which he has the easiest time channeling and focusing. Because of this, many of his abilities require some sort of initiating ‘spark’ beyond his own power – often supplied by one of the heavy-duty capacitors or other devices he has designed and carries with him. In dire situations, he is capable of producing considerable power on his own, but these displays drain him far more quickly and often leave him incapacitated with considerable migraines. Spells Low-Level Imbue – Part of his enchantment ability, this spell takes time, often hours, to be properly worked out, but allows Alistair to channel mana focused through specially carved runic channels in metal and crystal to create a permanent enchantment. The focus totems (often known as fetishes by the order) that he carries in order to aid in channeling his power are created in this manner, as was his reinforced coat. A variant of this ability is also used to channel power through focuses he has already created – especially the special rounds he has manufactured for use in his weapons, enabling him to sheath the projectiles in power from his other spells. Surge Manipulation – By lining the path of flowing electricity in his mana, and by using a variant of his imbuing spell, Alistair can temporarily modify or enhance the operation of certain electronic devices beyond their usual tolerances, gaining momentarily greater output or control over their functions. This also allows him to destroy most electronics relatively simply, by placing current across sensitive transistors and other devices, or causing an abrupt ground-fault. In the same way, Alistair can generate a relatively low-grade electrical shock at short ranges, roughly equivalent to a civilian Taser unit. Mage’s Sight – Like most mages, Alistair has a number of paranormal senses, but as a result of his increased talent from drawing power from external sources, he is somewhat more sensitive to these than many other mages. Alistair can detect magical power as well as electrical charge for some distance, and can nearly always tell when a spell is in effect. Pressure shock – Most typically done by snapping his fingers, clapping, or firing a shot, Alistair can considerably amplify the initial air compression caused by a sound wave, focusing it in a single direction and releasing it, creating a momentary burst of hurricane or even tornado-force winds. Like many of Alistair’s spells, the power of this ability is variable, and depends on how much power he pours into it and the intensity of the triggering event. If special power is poured into it, this ability can also create smaller, briefer blasts of pressure sufficient to do considerable damage. Various uses of this ability, sometimes even without using an initial shock, can be used to direct flames by adding oxygen, or create sprays of water by scooping the liquid up with a blast of air where available – Alistair can generate neither of these elements on his own. Charge Collection – Using this spell, Alistair is capable of sharply lowering the electric potential of the region around his body, thus gathering electric charge from the surrounding region, particularly higher-potential areas such as power cables. This allows him to ‘recharge’ in some cases, and gather energy for spells when his capacitors have been expended, or he prefers not to waste one. The gathering of electrical power at low levels (that is, doing so slowly) occurs naturally for Alistair on some level, and both his reserve of mana and vitality are improved by the presence of significant power. During intense electrical storms, Alistair’s power is at its peak. Mid-Level Electric Aura - Nearly impossible without a significant source of power (such as his capacitors), Alistair creates a region of extreme electric potential around his body, generally the upper body and arms, primarily. He can store this charge there for a brief time, a matter of a few minutes at most, and expend it as blasts of electric current at relatively short range, or shorter-lived, more intense pulses of kinetic energy at touch ranges. He most commonly uses this ability for close combat, especially with beings who would typically be far stronger than he. Thunderclap – Done using a sharp, loud noise (typically at least 100dB), Alistair focuses all his power for a few seconds into a region of still greater compression which he then forms into a much wider wave of explosive force . This can be used as an omnidirectional spell which produces a significant force in all directions (sufficient to knock most creatures back and cause mild damage) to an intensely focused lance or blade of compressed air, capable of doing serious damage to one or more targets. Alistair uses an abbreviated version of this spell quite often as a defensive measure against larger incoming threats that his standard ‘bullet shield’ cannot handle, at which point timing becomes crucial, since he must attack with it at the precise moment required. Discharge – By omitting portions of his charging spells, Alistair can cause a powerful electric charge to jump directly from a source to a target – in effect creating a small bolt of lightning capable of moderate damage. Rounds from his .45 are sometimes used to deliver the region of suppressed potential region required for doing this at long-range. Alistair often uses a variant of this ability for other tactics, such as igniting small magnesium grenades to generate intense heat on a target area. During lightning storms, with considerably greater effort, this spell can actually attract true lightning bolts, if the conditions are right, and there are no easier or higher-raised paths to ground for the bolt to travel. Pressure Barrier – A sustained variant of the above spell, Alistair maintains the initial region of compression and expands it, creating a partial-dome barrier of intense pressure and high air speeds around him, sufficient to deflect most firearm rounds, flame, and most other elements. This spell can be increased in power with improved focus and effort, and has the ability to provide temporary protection against many threats – while useful, sustaining the barrier is quickly draining. Because of its nature, the shield is of far less utility against larger, heavier objects, especially ones traveling at high speeds. The barrier is not entirely physical, either – Alistair has learned to infuse the barrier with a powerful ward using his pure mana, allowing it to provide protection from many magical attacks and ethereal creatures as well. Without the focus Alistair typically carries on his left arm, this spell is even more difficult to sustain, and Alistair can rarely do so for more than a few seconds. High-Level Arc Flash – The most powerful ability that Alistair can call on at will, the magus uses a massive surge of electrical current to produce a lethal effect known to electrical engineers as an arc flash, or arc blast. A small but true bolt of lightning, the effect lasts less than a second, jumping from one of Alistair’s hands to the other, over a distance of no more than two feet. Arc flashes in industrial applications have been known to generate explosive force exceeding multiple pounds of military grade explosive, but more terrifying is the corona of incredible heat produced by the effect, as the temperatures of a true arc flash are extreme enough to vaporize metal instantaneously. Because of this, Alistair must first shield himself from the heat, wrapping himself in a pressure barrier with a potent magnetic charge to divert the ionized corona away from him and toward the target. The result is a short-lived but undeniably powerful blast of plasma that can do incredible damage, but is limited to a range of no more than ten feet for maximum effect – beyond that, the blast begins to disperse, but is still lethal to most creatures up to approximately fifteen, and can cause burns and other damage out to about twenty-five. The sheer effort caused by this combination assault is likely to render Alistair unconscious – even should he withstand the crushing migraine and maintain his senses, his ability to gather and manipulate power will be inoperable for some time following the blast. Eye of the Storm – Alistair’s most powerful defensive spell, this creates an amplified variant of his pressure barrier that surrounds the magus at a radius of about fifteen feet, allowing him to protect others nearby from attacks as well. The pressure of the barrier is even greater than the weaker variant, and causes intense winds in the area immediately surrounding it, which can be dangerous on their own. This region also carries with it a high level of electric charge, and will strike out against anything approaching too closely, adding another level of protection. Finally, this solid barrier is infused with a powerful warding magic, effectively sealing those within it off from magical and psionic effects for its duration. This comes at a heavy cost, however, and the barrier can only be sustained for approximately five minutes under light assault. Under heavy attack, this decreases sharply. Should he use the ability to capacity, the penalty is similar to the use of Arc Flash, but partial uses proportionally decrease the backlash Alistair experiences. Any use of this spell does disrupt Alistair’s mana, however, and will render him temporarily unable to use any spell. Biological Profile Appearance Alistair is a bit above average height, coming in at 6’2”, and in decent shape – mistakes in college and a bit more than the ‘freshmen fifteen’ led to a fitness kick which he has kept up with well since his last few years of school. As such, he has an athlete’s build, though he has never gotten to what might be called ‘bodybuilder’ shape, focusing instead on practical strength and trying to be well-rounded. He dresses casually, usually in jeans and a shirt of some type, with a tailored black coat that he wears almost all the time. Personal Belongings Alistair favors an enchanted M1911A3 pistol, which he carries often for protection, both to avoid having to use magic and as a ‘noisemaker’ for some of his sonic abilities. He also carries a small tactical folding knife, and is rarely without his cell phone. Occasionally, if the situation calls for heavier weaponry, his current 'heavy' weapon is a modified and enchanted AA-12 combat shotgun, along with an assortment of specially-produced shells. Since the Shift, however, he has been wearing a long black, heavily reinforced and enchanted duster coat, to protect him from attacks - which has saved his life more than once. He also wears a silver focus wrapped around his left forearm to channel his shield spells, and other spells requiring a sonic component. In addition, he can almost always be seen carrying a number of small canisters - some are capacitors, carrying a heavy electrical charge for his spells, while others are filled with powdered magnesium or other inventions or chemicals he can use to his advantage in a fight. His sole piece of ‘jewelry’ is an exquisite Tag Heuer Link chronograph, silver with a deep blue face, which he always wears - and which he sometimes uses as a focus for his more powerful spells, being his most prized possession. For a list of items Alistair has made/invented, see Alistair Greene - Technology Personality Alistair is not always an easy person to get along with – he can be harsh with his criticism, extremely confident in his own correctness, and somewhat abrasive. This is unintentional, however, the result of an intense personality, not a hard or cruel one. Should he hurt feelings on accident, he is quick and sincere with his apology, when it is possible, and values honesty highly – he wants people to tell him if there is something wrong, and can be irritable when they don’t. He is at his worst, though, when there is an important problem to be solved – he is intensely focused when working, and often forgets his manners. Both a blessing and a curse, he gets things done, but is not afraid to step on toes in so doing. That aside, he is generally kind person, and does his best to help people whenever he can. That, however, is dependent on their willingness to help themselves, since he refuses to fight with someone to help them. He rarely takes things personally, however, and one of his mottos is “never attribute to malice what you can more easily attribute to ignorance or stupidity”. He cares what other people thing, but only to a certain degree – if someone is being unreasonable in his opinion, he has no problem at all dismissing them completely. Alistair is somewhat ambivalent, however, where his power is concerned. The Shift caused a great deal of disruption in his life, as with everyone’s, and life – which had finally been going well after graduating college and securing a great job – has typically gone downhill, with zombie attacks, vampire attacks, and generally having to fear for your life the majority of the time. Of course, since the Shift also greatly increased the severity of his headaches, he has gradually withdrawn somewhat, keeping to himself more where he can be in the quiet that won’t make the pain worse. Seeing so much death also damaged him somewhat, and he has been trying for a long time to do something about it. He has the power to, with his magic, and has been practicing with it for some time. Not to quote the bit from Spider Man, but considering he CAN do something, he tends to believe that he SHOULD. Especially where so many people are hurt in the balance… History After Alistair was born, in Antioch California, his parents decided to get married, to avoid having a child out of wedlock. The marriage, as is often the case in these situations, did not last long – his parents were divorced by the time he was two, after having moved to northern Michigan to raise the boy. He spent his childhood in joint custody, bouncing back and forth between homes every week or every few days for years, one reason that he never quite got a sense of any one place being home. He showed great aptitude for math and science, and stayed in the accelerated programs for his entire career in school, making it into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology straight out of high school, where he specialized initially in robotic systems. He graduated MIT near the top of his class, and got a job immediately after graduating with a massive corporation called Atlas, where he was stationed in New York. Once there, Alistair quickly gained a reputation for innovation and sheer brilliance when it came to engineering total systems, especially weapons, which the company specialized in. Alistair quickly secured more than a dozen patents for new technologies, including a powerful automation system for weapons targeting and a special array-type capacitor capable of storing vast amounts of energy. Things were going well – the firm was about to release a brand new set of heavily armed UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), slated for release at the end of 2012. Thanks to the events of that December, it never happened. Alistair’s entire well-planned-out world shattered around him in the months which followed, with the company he worked for destroyed, his prospects lost, and a strange power he began to grow into as a result, all in the middle of everything else. His first months with his power were catastrophic – occasional accidents with electrical components shorting out, nearly out of control fires and one occasion where a passing ambulance suddenly found its siren loud enough to shatter every window in the vicinity. Slowly, however, and mostly in private, Alistair has been working on developing and controlling his powers, renting out a basement apartment with a large space for him to practice his magic privately, where other people would not be harmed by it. He has made a living doing contract work for various groups, often for the city itself, repairing damages caused by the rages of meta humans or magus like himself, and mostly keeping his power a secret where possible, until he felt skilled enough to use it. That time has finally come, and he has sought out the other mages, the ones who have banded together to help save the world, and to whom he can dedicate his service. His degree may go largely unused… but he originally got into engineering to build things to help people. If he can do so more directly, well, that will work too. Time Line March 17th, 2014 - Party at the Fairy: Alistair receives a random invitation, and decides in an unusual show of outgoing behavior to attend. Almost immediately, he discovers a number of people whose behavior he doesn't care for at all (Postponed) March 31st, 2014 - Doing it Old School: On a routine artifact retrieval, the Order of Ulrich's newest Inspector Magus runs into the HLNA, who for some reason are after the same prize - or perhaps just the magus in question. After disabling two of the HLNA agents, he runs into an agent of a different sort, and much greater experience, who decides to offer some advice. (Postponed) April 11th, 2014 - "Peaceful" Stroll: Taking a day off from the supernatural, Alistair goes for a walk in Central Park and ALMOST manages to finish a hot dog before an electrokinetic lady bumps into him, on the run from an abnormally large HLNA strike team. Naturally, the idealistic mage gets involved... (Postponed) April 13th, 2014 - Gathering the Cult: Alistair is assigned by the Order as protection for a faun exorcist named Adeline, whom Alistair happened to have been running into fairly often and developing a friendship with. Tasked with breaking up a quickly growing cult at NYC, the two young agents meet and head off into the unknown. April 15th, 2014 - More than We can Chew: On another mission for the Order, Alistair is paired with a psionic named Charity, and sent to perform an exorcism on a man who has been tracked to a fairly cheap motel in New Jersey. Supposedly a simple mission - but Murphy had something to say about that. The man turned out to be a vessel for nearly a dozen lesser demons, which poured out from the mirror of the room when Charity attempted to suppress the primary. The pair were able to fend off and destroy the demons, while preserving the life of the Paragon, who they returned to their Order safehouse. Somehow, a successful mission after all. April 22nd, 2014 - Sparkling Drops of Blood - Another attempt at a peaceful day out lands Alistair witnessing a robbery gone wrong, and the shooting of an angel. Naturally, he runs in to help... and where it goes from there remains to be seen... (Canceled) May 7th, 2014 - Don't Forget your Coat - Recently promoted to Second Class, Alistair is assigned to a mission with a combat specialist from out west named Jocelyn. Their mission? Exterminate a small vampire coven - by themselves. May 10th, 2014 - Don't Get In My Way - Just out for a quiet drink, Alistair runs into his two Order friends, Charity and Jocelyn - and discovers they're on a date. For the already socially-uncomfortable Magus, this poses a slight problem... May 15th, 2014 - Retrieval Operations - Going to check on the Spanish Paragon they retrieved together some time earlier, Alistair and Charity arrive to find the man overpowered his guardians and went on the run. Together they give chase... and may wind up in a rather sticky situation. (Ongoing) May 18th, 2014 - A Short, Wasteland Layover - Flying to Los Angeles in search of his long-lost sister, Alistair's plane encounters some unusual trouble... and crashes hard in the middle of the Illinois wasteland. The only other survivor of the crash is a woman named Freya. And so the quest to get back to civilization begins. (Ongoing) June 11th, 2014 - Family Reunion...? - After returning from his ordeal in the wilderness with Freya, Alistair goes on a solo mission in Paris, partially to check in with the rest of the team, who has gone in search of a dragon. Unfortunately, a side job for the Paris branch of the order that was supposed to be simple results in Alistair biting off slightly more than he can chew... but there may be better, if just as surprising, news awaiting him... June 12th, 2014 - Reunion and Discoveries - Finally back in New York and able to rest, Alistair goes to visit Adeline at work, and reunite with his close friend. June 13th, 2014 - Research and Other Activities - No longer quite trusting the post-Shift internet for his studying, Alistair goes to the public library to research for a few spells he is developing, and meets someone new... June 14th, 2014 - Engagement - Alexandra Webber, apparently Alistair's new fiancee, comes over to try and get to know her not-quite-willing significant other. June 16th, 2014 - Pound the Drums, the Drums of War - After receiving some disturbing news from their clairvoyants, the NY Overseers call a number of their top magi to a meeting to plan a response... Alistair happens to be among them. June 30th, 2014 - And SOLD to the man in the funny hat! - Alistair and Jocelyn attend an auction being held by the King of the Underworld, in an attempt to secure a number of valuable artifacts, but considering Alistair's 'fiancee' and Jocelyn's intense dislike of dragons, will their ruined team dynamic also ruin the mission? July 1st, 2014 - On the Mend - Hoping to ease the tension that's been between Alistair and his partner Jocelyn, the mage invites her over to test a recent invention of his, and see if their differences can't be resolved. The manner in which Jocelyn decides to resolve them, however, is not exactly to Alistair's liking... (Ongoing) July 6th, 2014 - Promise Kept - Despite his current... gender issue, Alistair keeps his promise to Nerissa, delivering a waterproof phone to help her keep in contact with the human world. (Ongoing) July 7th, 2014 (EARLY morning) - Repair Lady - After being begged by his best friend from college, Mark Archer, to come have a look at his hacking computer, Alistair is forced to go over to Mark's apartment and out into the world... despite having been changed into an extremely female version of himself... July 7th, 2014 (Evening) - Nightmare 2013 [Heroes Thread] - Alistair enters the lair of two deranged former acquaintences of his looking to free Danielle and a series of other hostages being tortured live on the Internet... and may, yet again, have bitten off a bit more than he can chew. (Ongoing) July 17th, 2014 - All Out Warfare - Only able to let his female body keep him from combat for so long, the Order deploys the Inspector to retrieve an extremely powerful artifact - before an extremely dangerous foe does the same. He brings his sister along for backup, as well as a small team of Centurions and Inspectors... but even they have little idea what is in store. (ongoing) August 7th, 2014 - Disturbing the Interview - Alistair sees his best friend getting shot at on a newscast, and jumps into the fray to help, dragging his new apprentice (Alia Safina) along as well. August 12th, 2014 - Line in the Sand - Working late at the OU office on his mana-based PTCA prototype, Alistair takes a coffee break, and encounters Nailah and Cyrus. August 13th, 2014 - Mages and Dragons - Noticing Alex's increasing discomfort with something, Alistair schedules a trip out of the city, to a deserted region of the Catskills, where he and the dragon can have a small vacation, and she might be able to stretch her wings for the first time in months. September 8th, 2014 - Unveiling the Monument - While working security for a monument unveiling, despite their disagreement with its message, the Order finds the entire event under attack from the Underground, and fights back with a vengeance. Trivia - Prior to the Shift, Alistair was a rather significant name in the engineering community thanks to his work with Atlas, though his best-known invention remains the Poly-Toroidal Condenser Array (PTCA), a device which can store incredible amounts of electricity by forcing a robust crystalline matrix to undergo a semi-stable shift under an intense magnetic field. A small, high-speed explosive (similar to a C4 detonator) triggers a reversal in the change, undoing the structure shift and recreating approximately 85% of the magnetic field which produced it, which a series of inductive coils re-convert into an electric current. While impractical for many uses due to the fact that they must be repaired after each use and do not return all of the energy pumped into them, they do provide a massive surge of power previously thought impossible to produce from a device a hundred times its size. While still considered experiemental, the PTCA could, for the first time, make railgun or directed energy type weapons practical. - One of Alistair's ancestors, from the time BC, Mallus Crudus, was an Overseer and Chief Artificer of the Order, and was one of their greatest patriarchs. He sacrificed himself in the destruction of the Library at Alexandria to protect the Order's secrets from others who would claim them. Even further down the line, Alistair and Cassandra are of Atlantean blood, and of a powerful lineage at that, though the specifics have been lost to time, some records of their line do exist within the Order - of course, this is a closely guarded secret. - Alistair's nickname (and occasional codename), 'Dresden', is a reference to the title character in a book series called The Dresden Files, a man who wears a magically-reinforced long black coat, happens to be a wizard/detective, has a sarcastic streak along with a sometimes crippling white-knight complex, and rather atrocious luck - Qualities which Alistair largely shares. Particularly that last one. Jocelyn gave him the nickname on their first mission together, which he replied to by naming her Murphy, for Dresden's martial-arts wielding, short-temper-fused friend. Relationships Allies Enemies Category:Characters Category:Order of Ulrich Category:Magus